---
name: market-command-matrix
version: "1.0"
description: Turns competitor signals into judgement—mindshare vs resource strength, then attack/monitor/harvest/ignore/partner with one primary motion per priority player, not a research dump. Use for competitor analysis, market mapping, positioning, GTM prioritisation, battlecards, partnerships, content wedges, or market intelligence reviews.
argument-hint: "[optional player name | format:full|one-page]"
---

# Market Command Matrix

Goal: **intelligence upstream of action**—not competitor summaries for their own sake. Classify players, decide **what to do**, assign **owners and triggers**.

## The model (two axes)

**Market mindshare** — awareness, conversation, category association, unprompted recall, default comparisons when buyers think about the problem.

**Resource strength** — capacity and focus **dedicated to winning this market** (funding, team, distribution, tech, partnerships, operational depth). Score **relative to market dedication**, not raw company size. Practical approach: score **your own** company 1–5 on focus and execution in this market, then score others **relative to you**.

Each axis: **high / medium / low** (justify with evidence).

## Decision categories

| Category | Typical placement | One-line intent |
|----------|-------------------|-----------------|
| **All-out attack** | High mindshare + high resources | Sharp wedge, proof, channel discipline; expect retaliation. |
| **Monitor** | Low mindshare + high resources | Watch capacity; triggers before overreacting. |
| **Harvest** | High mindshare + low resources | Use their awareness; win on fulfilment, trust, depth, migration paths. |
| **Ignore** | Low mindshare + low resources | No strategic energy; note customer signals only. |
| **Partner** | Complementary / ecosystem | Integration, referral, co-marketing, bundling—define value exchange; watch channel conflict. |

**Partner** is orthogonal to the 2×2; label when beating them is not required to win.

## Competitor set (before matrix placement)

Classify the **map** from the **customer view** of the market (buckets inform discovery; matrix uses mindshare + resources):

1. **Direct** — same buyer, same JTBD, comparable promise; same budget or decision.
2. **Adjacent** — overlapping workflow; could expand into your lane; partner and/or threat.
3. **Substitute behaviours** — manual, informal, “good enough” habits instead of buying.
4. **Ecosystem** — media, communities, platforms, agencies, infra that shape trust and access.

## Workflow (run in order)

### 1. Reconnaissance

- Prefer **customer-led** signals: core **unaided** question first: *When you think of [CATEGORY], what is the first product that comes to mind?* Then aided recognition, usage, recommendation, value/friction.
- Bias controls: unaided before aided; neutral framing where possible; separate **verified** evidence from assumptions.
- Collect **current signals** per priority player (site messaging, product claims, social themes, ads, reviews, pricing/onboarding, press/partnerships, hiring/funding, SEO topics, FAQs/objections). Full list: [reference.md](reference.md#signal-checklist).

### 2. Monitoring and extraction

For each priority player, extract meaning: promise, ICP, lead pain, proof, CTA, strongest channel, what they avoid saying, visible operational weakness, behaviour they try to change. Questions: [reference.md](reference.md#extraction-questions).

### 3. Matrix placement

For each player: **category**, **rationale**, **confidence** (high/medium/low), **evidence used**, **what would change the placement**.

### 4. Playbook selection

**One primary motion per priority player.** Do not output a dump without decisions. Playbook menus: [reference.md](reference.md#playbooks-by-category).

### 5. Market shape

With enough coverage: **fragmented** | **challenger** | **ancient** | **mature**—and what that implies for offence vs defence. Definitions: [reference.md](reference.md#market-shapes).

### 6. Whitespace and positioning

Turn gaps into actions: underserved audience, weak promise, missing proof, poor follow-through, trust gap, channel mismatch, etc.

## Output formats

- **Full analysis:** strategic thesis, competitor map, evidence table, matrix placement, whitespace, recommended actions (owner, dependency, output, deadline), market shape, milestones/triggers. Skeleton: [reference.md](reference.md#full-analysis-template).
- **One-page memo** (compressed): Player → Placement → Evidence (1–2 signals) → Meaning → Action → Trigger.

Use `format:one-page` in the user request when they need the short memo only.

## Completion gate (do not “finalize” without)

- [ ] Competitor set classified (direct / adjacent / substitute / ecosystem as relevant).
- [ ] Matrix category per **priority** player + rationale + confidence.
- [ ] Evidence vs assumptions separated.
- [ ] **One** selected primary playbook motion per priority player + **next action** + **checkpoint or trigger**.
- [ ] Market-shape interpretation **if** enough players/data exist.
- [ ] No “research only” handoff—every section ties to a **decision or motion**.

## More detail

Playbooks, market shapes, survey bias notes, Hermes install hint, sources: [reference.md](reference.md).